This qualification will validate NTi’s production and industrialization processes, integrate Spirit’s workscope of machining final parts from additively manufactured near-net shapes and verify material and final part conformity to requirements.

“Spirit has had a comprehensive and long relationship with Norsk Titanium, and this part will be our first additive structural titanium component incorporated into a commercial airplane program,” said Spirit AeroSystems Senior Vice President of Fabrication and Supply Chain Management, Ron Rabe.

“I am very proud of the Norsk Titanium team and this accomplishment. It represents years of technology development,” said CEO of Norsk Titanium Mike Canario. “I also would also like to thank Spirit for this vote of confidence in the Norsk RPD™ process and capability.”

NTi’s Plattsburgh, N.Y., facility was recently added to Spirit’s Approved Supplier List (ASL) and Boeing’s Qualified Producer’s List (QPL). Spirit and NTi have had an ongoing technology collaboration for more than nine years. In 2017, both companies signed a Master Procurement Agreement (MPA) for qualification and production activities. The first commercial aircraft part will begin serial production later this year.

Spirit AeroSystems is one of the largest manufacturers of fabricated parts for the aerospace industry. The company recently announced plans to expand its fabrication business to support other manufacturers around the globe.

About Norsk Titanium AS

Norsk Titanium AS is the world’s pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process that transforms titanium wire into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. Norsk Titanium is a tier 1 supplier to Boeing and is committed to cost-reducing aerostructures and jet engines for the world’s premier aerospace manufacturers. RPD™ is the world’s first FAA-approved, 3D-printed, structural titanium, delivering substantial lead-time and cost savings for aerospace, defense, and commercial customers.